You Probably Didn't Know Whirlpool Owned This Popular Appliance Brand

In a world of corporate mergers and mega-companies, it's safe to assume many popular kitchen and appliance brands are likely owned by one of the industry's heavyweights. Still, many people may be surprised at some of the big names that are, on a business level, just one piece of a larger corporate structure. An excellent example is KitchenAid, which has produced its iconic stand mixers for countless home cooks over generations. It's been part of the larger Whirlpool corporation for four decades, though few may be aware of it. 

From its inception, KitchenAid had been a division of Hobart Manufacturing Company. This all changed in 1986, when the brand was purchased by Whirlpool. At the time, coverage focused primarily on the purchase of KitchenAid as a play by the larger company to expand its grip on the dishwasher market, an appliance KitchenAid is less well-known for today. 

These days, KitchenAid is most closely associated with its iconic electric mixer. The company invented its version in 1919, debuting the popular "H5" model. However, it wasn't until 1936 that the company rolled out the familiar "K" model, the first to share the appearance and functionality that modern cooks are familiar with.

Since the company was acquired by Whirlpool, KitchenAid has continued to expand into producing other appliances, including blenders, food processors, and even induction cooktops. Still, not much has changed with KitchenAid's flagship mixer, with the exception of a selection of new colors added in the 1990s. This long-running consistency means even attachments decades old can be used in modern mixers, and vice versa for old mixers and new attachments. KitchenAid explicitly promises this with its Attachment Fit Guarantee, stating, "KitchenAid will take the appropriate steps to ensure that you can effectively use attachments with your Stand Mixer, no matter how old the mixer or attachment."

KitchenAid is just one of Whirlpool's popular kitchen appliance brands. Along with its namesake Whirlpool-branded appliances, the company also owns other familiar names, such as Maytag, Amana, JennAir, and smaller, specialty, or overseas-focused appliance makers. Whirlpool is even older than KitchenAid, tracing its roots back nearly 115 years.

There's no denying KitchenAid's lofty price has led some shoppers to declare it among the most overpriced kitchen appliance brands. Still, you can rely on more than just decades of glowing reviews for KitchenAid products (including from cooking personality Ina Garten, who swears by the mixer). You can also know you're buying from a subsidiary of Whirlpool, one of the world's biggest and most well-known appliance giants.